Xiao Zhenggong, with a white shirt draped over his left arm, pushed open the door and entered the hospital room, first glancing at He Jiaqing lying in bed.
"Dark Star Bureau is conducting an investigation, get out!" Xiao Zhenggong turned to look at He Haisheng who was smoking a cigarette.
He Haisheng exhaled a puff of smoke that lingered on Xiao Zhenggong’s face for a moment.
Xiao Zhenggong took out a lighter from his chest pocket and lit a cigarette, the lighter spinning twice between his fingers, seemingly ready to fly towards He Haisheng at any moment.
He Haisheng raised his hands. "Captain Xiao, don’t be impulsive. Be careful not to cause a fire. If you need to investigate, I’ll leave."
After speaking, He Haisheng left the hospital room.
Xiao Zhenggong closed the door of the hospital room and looked at He Jiaqing lying on the bed.
"Let’s do it, Brother," the clothes spoke.
"I’m not sure if this is He Jiaqing," Xiao Zhenggong hesitated.
"It doesn’t matter. It’s better to err on the side of killing than to let go."
Xiao Zhenggong remained on guard, keeping a distance of over a meter from He Jiaqing on the bed.
If this person really was He Jiaqing, he could jump up at any moment to fight for his life against Xiao Zhenggong.
When a Traveling Cultivator and a Martial Cultivator fought to the death, the outcome was unpredictable; if their cultivation levels were equal, the Martial Cultivator had the advantage, but what if He Jiaqing’s cultivation level was higher than his?
After observing for a while, the person in the bed did not move at all, only beads of sweat slipped one after another down his cheeks.
"Kill him, Brother. You’ve got nothing to lose even if you make a mistake."
It was impossible to make a mistake without any loss.
Although Xiao Zhenggong was a Balancer, there were certain things he couldn’t do too excessively. The bureau valued He Jiaqing greatly; killing him would not be something that could be explained away with a simple report, and it might even force Xiao Zhenggong to use the Equilibrium Seal.
The cost of using the Equilibrium Seal was high, and Xiao Zhenggong did not want to take things that far unless absolutely necessary.
In his hesitation, Xiao Zhenggong suddenly turned to look at the door.
Through the door, he felt a pair of eyes watching him.
Xiao Zhenggong walked to the door, opened it, and saw Captain Chen Changrui wearing a jacket, a cigarette in his mouth, standing at the door with a smile.
"Captain Chen, when did you get here?"
"Just arrived," Chen Changrui took a puff of his cigarette and replied cheerfully. "I heard you’re on a case, so I didn’t want to disturb you. Go ahead with your investigation; we’ll talk after you’re done."
Xiao Zhenggong looked at Chen Changrui, his cheeks twitching.
Chen Changrui glanced at He Jiaqing on the bed and gestured for Xiao Zhenggong to proceed.
He seemed to be telling Xiao Zhenggong that he could kill He Jiaqing at any time.
Xiao Zhenggong pocketed his lighter and left the hospital room.
Once in the car, the white shirt couldn’t help but ask, "Brother, what exactly are you afraid of? That old man’s cultivation level shouldn’t be higher than yours, right?"
"It’s not about cultivation level," Xiao Zhenggong started the car. "If I lay hands on He Jiaqing in front of Chen Changrui, I might get transferred out of the Public Security Team."
"Why do you have to stay in the Public Security Team? With your status, you’d have your pick of better places."
"You wouldn’t understand even if I told you," Xiao Zhenggong pressed the accelerator and drove out of the parking lot. "The Public Security Team is the best place for me!"
"Brother, with you being so cautious, I’m afraid you won’t be able to complete the task assigned by Master."
As he was driving, Xiao Zhenggong suddenly slammed on the brakes, nearly causing the car behind to rear-end him.
The white shirt did not understand Xiao Zhenggong’s intention, only hearing him mutter, "Something’s not right about this."
"What’s not right?"
"Why was he smoking just now?"
"Are you talking about Chen Changrui? I remember you saying he’s an Old Smoker."
Xiao Zhenggong rubbed his forehead, trying to recall Chen Changrui’s habits.
His phone suddenly buzzed with a message. It was a mission alert from the bureau.
"A suspected mutated creature has appeared at Baihe Road Hui Pool Residential Complex in Earth Building Village. All members, immediately proceed to the scene."
Xiao Zhenggong started the car, wanting to go back to the hospital.
The white shirt in the back seat said, "Brother Xiao, you should have made this decision earlier!"
Xiao Zhenggong turned the steering wheel halfway, but he did not turn around.
He had a feeling that someone had set a trap here.
"Chen Changrui wants to drive me away. This old bastard is playing tricks on me; well, I want to see who will be leaving today..." After muttering to himself, Xiao Zhenggong drove towards Earth Building Village.
「...」
"Chen Changrui" stood at the door of the hospital room for a while, then turned and went to the bathroom at the end of the corridor.
Soon, "He Haisheng" came out of the bathroom, still dressed in a suit.
The previous "Chen Changrui" and the current "He Haisheng" were both impersonated by He Jiaqing; even the clothes on his body were changed using the Drama Cultivation Technique.
He Jiaqing sat next to He Haisheng, wiping the sweat off his face.
After a moment of thought, he made a snipping motion with two fingers on He Haisheng’s forehead, as if cutting a thread.
He Haisheng suddenly sat up on the bed and grabbed He Jiaqing by the collar. "You beast!"
He Haisheng could move again; He Jiaqing had released the Binding Cultivation Technique on him.
"Third Uncle, hear me out first..."
"What do I need to hear from you? I ought to slaughter you..."
Suddenly, footsteps from outside the door approached; the doctor on rounds had arrived.
He Haisheng thought for a moment, then lay back down on the bed, continuing to pretend to be He Jiaqing.
There were some things he did not want outsiders to know.
He Jiaqing tidied up his clothes, watching the doctor enter the hospital room.
The doctor sniffed, frowned, and said, "Are you smoking in the hospital room again? Are you aware of the hospital rules? Have you ever considered the patients? Look at the kind of quality you exhibit..."
This doctor was new, apparently not very familiar with He Haisheng, nor was he well aware of the identity and status of the He Family.
After completing the routine questioning and check-up, He Jiaqing smiled apologetically and escorted the doctor out.
Confident that no one would bother them for a short time, He Haisheng sat up and grabbed He Jiaqing by the collar again. "You bastard, what the hell is going on? Speak clearly to me."
He Jiaqing smiled. "Do I need to say it? I just want to live with some dignity, but I’m not at the moment. You saw it yourself. Just now, that doctor, ordering me around, do you think I dared to say one more word?"
"That’s the rule here in the hospital. No smoking allowed. I even go downstairs for it!"
"Xiao Zhenggong just tried to kill me, right here in this hospital room? Is that also a rule of the hospital?"
He Haisheng was silent.
"I impersonated Chen Changrui, and Xiao Zhenggong didn’t dare kill me. My life is in the hands of people from the Outside Provinces; life and death are at their mere whim."
He Haisheng fell silent for a moment and then said, "Xiao Zhenggong is from Puluo State."
"I know he’s from Puluo State; he’s the leader of the Jiang Xiang Gang. With only his status in Puluo State, would he dare touch me? He dares to kill me now because he has another identity in the Outside Provinces—he’s the Deputy Chief of the Public Security Team of the Dark Star Bureau! As long as he has status in the Outside Provinces, he dares to kill me anytime, anywhere."
"If you’re willing to stay in the Outside Provinces, you have to abide by their rules."
He Jiaqing laughed. "Third Uncle, you’ve been in the Outside Provinces too long. You’ve even started making their cold jokes."
"What joke is this..."
"That’s exactly what it is, a joke. Ask the Border Defense Envoys from the Outside Provinces if they follow the rules in Puluo State. Have they ever cared about Puluo State’s rules?"
He Haisheng pursed his lips and said, "If you don’t want to stay in the Outside Provinces, go back to Puluo State. Once back in Puluo State, you’re still the young master of the He Family, and you won’t have to suffer like this!"
"You say I won’t suffer? Third Uncle, your joke is getting funnier by the minute. How did the head of the Chu Family die?"
"Died during a dispute with the Lu Family..." He Haisheng’s voice was faint.
"Third Uncle, you can lie to me, but can you lie to yourself? The head of the Chu Family died at the hands of the Border Defense Envoy. You saw it with your own eyes, and since then, you’ve not wanted to return to Puluo State. Don’t you think I know that?"
He Haisheng rubbed his forehead; he was reminded of some past events, and his thoughts were in disarray.
He Jiaqing sighed. "Talking about the Four Great Families, in the eyes of the Border Defense Envoys, we are just four dogs, living as dogs for the Outside Provinces. Even if we reach the Tenth Layer of cultivation level, after death, we’ll still be dogs for the Inner State. Are the lives of people from Puluo State so cheap?"
He Haisheng grabbed the cigarette case from He Jiaqing’s hand, drew out a cigarette, and bit it between his lips.
After smoking a cigarette, He Haisheng grew calmer and asked, "What exactly do you want to do?"
He Jiaqing said, "I’ve just said, I want to live with a bit more dignity. I want the people of Puluo State to live with more dignity."
He Haisheng lit another cigarette. "Sister came to the hospital to see me before..."
"Third Uncle, Big Aunt came to see me."
He Haisheng gave He Jiaqing a smack on the head. "You still dare to bring that up! Do you think I want to lie here for you? Sister said Older Brother passed suddenly. Even the Nightmare Cultivator couldn’t bring his soul back with Soul Summoning. Did he ascend to the Tenth Layer, to the Inner State?"
He Jiaqing honestly replied, "I sent so many Elixirs to my father, definitely enough for him to reach the Tenth Layer."
"How dare you..."
"Third Uncle, it was my father’s wish. I was helping him. He didn’t want to be a dog for the Outside Provinces any longer either."
He Haisheng took a deep drag of his cigarette. "The family business is all managed by Sister. She doesn’t know how to do business. Go home when you have time and see what the situation is."
He Jiaqing shook his head. "I’m not going back. I haven’t finished what I need to do here yet."
He Haisheng exclaimed angrily, "At the very least, send someone to inquire! It’s our own family business, after all!"
He Jiaqing got in touch with Duan Shuqun, and indeed, there had been trouble with the He Family’s business.
「...」
He Yuxiu was drinking at home, and the accountant Sheng Shanzhou sighed, "Miss, the goods at Black Ear Mountain are still being held up in the Outside Provinces. You should have listened to me; we shouldn’t have shorted the Border Defense Envoy’s Hua Hong."
He Yuxiu angrily said, "The business is making losses, and I’m supposed to pay him in full? Giving him half is already generous! He didn’t deduct a single coin for the high transportation fees!"
"The transportation fee is public; the Hua Hong is their own. Regardless of profit or loss, we have to pay the full amount..."
"Bullshit! If it weren’t for his interference, this business wouldn’t have suffered losses. How do we settle this account!" He Yuxiu smashed her wine cup to pieces.
He Haiqin’s legitimate wife, Yan Yulin, heard the noise and came out of the bedroom. "Yuxiu, what are you doing, getting angry with your own family?"
Sheng Shanzhou too felt wronged and stayed silent, while He Yuxiu sighed, "It’s not you. I just really look down on those Bird People from the Outside Provinces. You tell me, what should we do about this?"
Sheng Shanzhou had followed He Haiqin for many years and still had some clout with the Border Defense Envoy. "Miss, let me try to arrange a meal with the Border Defense Envoy. We can make up the payment, and you can apologize to him. Then this matter will be settled."
"I have to apologize to him?" He Yuxiu was exasperated.
Sheng Shanzhou was agitated too. "Miss, this is business; we all have to swallow some bitterness. Father never told you how much bitterness he’s swallowed! You can’t be too headstrong. Just because you were rude to the Border Defense Envoy before, he’s been making trouble for us on purpose!"
He Yuxiu stood up. "Find anyone you damn please! I’m through with this!"
Yan Yulin hurriedly reached out to hold He Yuxiu back. "Yuxiu, you can’t do this. The family is counting on you. You can’t just speak out of anger..."
「...」
Duan Shuqun conveyed the news to He Jiaqing, not just about the business issues, but another matter as well.
The Jiang Xiang Gang had run into trouble.
He Jiaqing looked at He Haisheng and said, "Third Uncle, two of the Jiang Xiang Gang’s Hall Entrances were wiped out."
He Haisheng was shocked. "Was that your doing?"
He Jiaqing was flustered. "How could it be me? I’ve been in Yuezhou all this time."
He Haisheng was taken aback again. "You had someone else do it?"
He Jiaqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Third Uncle, why are you so convinced it was me?"
"If it wasn’t you, why would Xiao Zhenggong want to kill you?"
He Jiaqing didn’t know how to explain.
There were a lot of grudges between him and Xiao Zhenggong, and some things he still couldn’t tell He Haisheng.
After sitting in silence for a moment, He Haisheng said, "We can’t stay in the hospital any longer. You leave first; I’ll find a way to get away."
PS: Chen Changrui never smokes in the hospital; this detail first appeared in Chapter Four.